KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 21): The government currently has no intention to mandate identity verification for social media users, despite its plan to require these platforms to apply for a licence by Jan 1, 2025.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said that enforcing such a requirement would be challenging, as online service providers (OSPs) do not currently require users to verify their identities through documents.
"However, this may be considered during the annual licensing review, and we might include it in the code of practice," Teo said during a Q&A session in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
She emphasised that implementing identity checks would require detailed discussions with stakeholders.
In July, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced that social media platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia must apply for a licence starting this month as part of efforts to combat cybercrime. Platforms that fail to comply by Jan 1, 2025, may face legal action.
Subsequently, an Asian industry group that includes Google, Meta and X, dubbed the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), in an open letter called on the Malaysian government to pause this plan in an open letter, citing a lack of clarity regarding the proposed regulations.
To this, Teo refuted AIC’s claim that OSPs were not consulted on the licensing framework, calling the statement "incorrect and untrue". She pointed out that discussions with AIC were held at MCMC on May 28, and the group submitted a response on June 26.
Service providers are aware of the enforcement of the licensing framework under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, she reiterated.
MCMC is currently engaging with these providers to explain compliance requirements and the licence application process, Teo said.
She added that MCMC is finalising a code of conduct for OSPs as part of this initiative, and it will be made available for public consultation by the end of October.
For more Parliament stories, click here.